This and that. . .

Look at today's beautiful sunrise. The twins are waking up about 5:30 every morning so I get to see the sunrise everyday.

This is a picture I took this morning before the kids had their hair done (actually they still don't have their hair done)


Here's the little celebrities taking their bows at center stage!

Rachel and Lauren at the talent show. As you can tell, we were sitting in the back so we didn't disturb the other parents who were watching.




Don't you love those 80s styles? I feel like I'm going back to my junior high years when I see the dance outfits they picked out.

More back row pictures! Oh well. . . at least I attempted to take pictures!

Thursday was Rachel's big day--she and her friend Lauren danced in the school talent show. About 100 acts auditioned for the show and they selected around 20 to perform so it was an honor just to be in the show. They performed for the school during the day. When Rachel arrived home and I asked her how it went, she said, "It was like we were celebrities" because everyone congratulated them for a job well done and total strangers were complimenting them. She loved it! Ah, the joys of performing. . . ! That evening we took the entire family to watch the show. Aside from many fruitless attempts to keep Caitlin from dancing and singing along, we really enjoyed it. I was amazed at the talent exhibited.

After taking Rachel to basketball practice and to a friend's house for movie night, I settled in for what I thought would be another boring Friday night. But Paul came home with "Get Smart" from Blockbuster. We forgot how funny that movie is. We enjoyed having an "at home date" after the kids went to bed.

By Saturday, Paul was really getting sick again. He just can't shake the flu. . . probably because he has to keep working instead of resting. I am starting to get better but I'm still not completely over it. So we stayed home, cleaned the basement (it took four hours of non-stop cleaning) and watched the BYU-Utah game. Poor Max Hall, I feel bad for him--he really blew it. Thankfully, I missed five of the interceptions while I was putting the kids to bed so I didn't waste my energy getting upset. I really can't stand watching BYU play poorly. It truly messes with my emotions so when they start shooting themselves in the foot, I have to leave the room. Personal foul penalties particularly make me gasp in dismay. Anyway, after the game, I headed to the grocery store. By the time I got all the groceries stowed in their proper places, it was very late so I collapsed into bed.

Yesterday, Spencer told me he was not feeling well. I thought he was faking so he wouldn't have to go to church but suddenly his face turned a little green and he said "I have to throw up." I picked him up (ugh, he's heavy!) and ran him to the bathroom and let's just say his prediction was accurate. So Paul stayed home with him and they spent the day being sick together. I took the girls early in order to run through our choir number before our Sacrament Meeting performance. They did a nice job. Whew! Now we just have to get our Christmas stuff perfected. After the choir sang, one of my friends told me she loves to watch me conduct because it looks like a dance. Funny, I don't feel very graceful--my heart races and I am trying to remember each cut-off, to bring people in at the right time, to conduct the dynamics and not be so expansive that I hit the organ music stand. I once did that during a song and the big hymn book crashed onto the floor right during a quiet part of the performance.

I also taught the lesson in Relief Society. I love being a substitute teacher for any class. The Bishop won't call me to the be the 4th Sunday teacher because I have too many other callings but the Relief Society keeps asking me to teach that week. I've taught three out of the last four months. The lesson was on a perfect talk for our day, "We Will Not Yield, We Cannot Yield" by Elder Craig Zwick. Take a minute to read it if you haven't read it recently. It is so timely considering the attacks our church is experiencing at the moment so I was happy to be teaching it.

Choir practice went well yesterday. We are progressing well in our quest to learn our Christmas program music. We have nearly five of our songs learned. I was particularly pleased with the good turn-out. Let's hope it continues as we get closer to Christmas.